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Can someone recommend a sufficient anchor that is large enough and will fit in the bow storage area. I was thinking of getting a Danforth 5#.

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Before choosing a style, it is key to determine the type of bottom (lake, river, ocean) you will use it in.

Some styles are better than others.

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My use will be south NJ bay and possibly ocean on a flat day so I would guess sandy.
Only temporary use for fishing, swimming or engine issues and never unattended.

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I have a 1974 Montauk 17 and I think my bow locker is about the same size as yours. I have a Guardian G-7 anchor, 12 feet of 1/4 inch stainless chain and 200 feet of 3/8 nylon line. I drape the bitter end of the anchor line over the lip if the well with enough slack to run it through the forward lifting eye when anchoring. I then lay the anchor line, the chain and the anchor on top in the well. Then I toss the bitter end on top. I have three pieces of self stick foam rubber about 1/4 inch thick that the hard parts of the anchor press against rather than scratching up the gelcoat inside the locker. I've fished Barnegat, Cape May, Gulf of Mexico and Lake Michigan and lots of bays, sounds and inlets and my ground tackle has never failed me. Ever.

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action,
I have a 1998 montauk and we boat mainly in Charleston,sc which is sandy and mud. I use a 13# danforth on a 10' chain with the shank and stocks cut down to fit in the front locker. I have been told that my anchor does not work and is dangerous because I have changed the anchors functioning. Well it has always set and always held even during strong tide changes. It might be an overkill but we like to walk the beaches and not worry about the boat floating away. I also lined the front locker with dri-dek panels to protect the gelcoat. The 5# should work but go bigger if you want an increased safety factor. Brad

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Action
I have a Montauck 17 in TX and a 170 in SC.
I had a Danforth 8# for both and they work well. I now have 4#Fortress aluminum anchors and they work just as well at half the weight but they're a lot more expensive. I have about 6 foot chains on both. I have a rail mount and I seldom put them in the locker. They ride well in the rail mount and it allows me to deploy them quickly. I often fish by myself.
I also have 4#chene anchors that I usually use to tie off if I'm beached.
I've used the chene anchors by themselves and they actually work very well
Depending on how deep you fish and bottom conditions I would consider the aluminum Danforth Fortress anchors or the Chene anchor.
I really have been impressed with the Chene anchor because of it's size.

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Wing brought up length of chain and rope, The minimum (extra length better) recommended would be depth (say 50 ft) with an additional 100 ft. of line. Chain the length of the boat.
Garris

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People underestimate the length of anchor rode they will need and fail to consider the greatest depth in which they will have to anchor. If you normally boat in 20 feet of water it is reccomended you have at least 140 feet of anchor line for a 7:1 scope. While you will probably be boating in good water and weather conditions you can get away with less scope but then you are more than likely to be boating in much deeper water. Use the line diameter reccomended for your boat so it can stretch and cushion the ride while anchored. Always carry more line than you think you'll need.

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I have a 1989 Montauk and use it all over the east coast but mostly the Chesapeake and Northern NJ. I carry two 9# galvanized danforth anchors, each with about 5' of chain. One has 75' and the other has about 350' of 3/8" line. Both fit in the forward locker no problem and still have room in there for a net and a few waters and a small mushroom I also carry. That setup grabs and holds in most situations.
I rig them both with the beak way / zip tie method which has worked well for me and saved my anchor on more than one occasion. The second anchor is handy for bimini anchoring at the beach or as a spare if needed.

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I use a Danforth on mine. Never had an issue in 27 years.

FYI- I know a guy who as a hobby retrieves stuck anchors in the Chesapeake. He lives in MD and sells them cheap. If you live close I can provide his number.

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Thanks fellows for the clarification. Casually chatting with others 3 to one was minimum but I saw 5 to 1 as a minimum, and 7 or 8 to 1 for overnight. I personally carry 300 ft of anchor line with 20 ft of chain. I am impressed with the storage capabilities of the Montauk. Been out on several boats with line attached directly to anchor with 100' minus for length.

Garris

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I run an 11 lb claw anchor with 17' of chain and 250' of rope on my 1988 Montauk 17 that I use in the Pacific.

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Thanks for all the information. A local Whaler expert in the area is going to give me a Danforth and some chain.